Buying Holly

[Julie Moriarty]

I'm planning on making a compass rose to install in a bar top. If all goes well, I may be making one or more for neighbors. I want to use holly and Gaboon ebony for the bar top. I have enough ebony on hand but need to purchase some holly.

I've never worked with holly. I don't think I've ever seen a piece of holly, other than pictures. Any suggestions on where to find stock good enough for something like a compass rose? What to look for when buying holly? What online stores sell it that are good to deal with?

Thanks,
Julie

[Ben Abate]

Julie
i believe I saw an ad in the new Fine Woodworking magazine for a company specializing in Holly. A few years ago I was in need of a few pieces and one of the members here on the Creek offered up what I needed and he was within 40 miles of me. Great guy. When I get home I'll look for the ad.

hope this helps

[Doug Hepler]

Julie,

Holly is soft and easy to work. It is said to be the lightest colored wood but not every square inch is equally "white". If you live near a big city, try to buy locally so that you can hand select. It is not really scarce, Bell Forest Products has it and there are other vendors I didn't check. West Penn Hardwoods is good. When I lived i Florida Amazon Hardwoods was a good supplier. Take the plunge, Get a sample.

You may find that if you finish sand the inlay the dust from your ebony, blackwood, etc gets onto and discolors the holly. Also, ebony is very hard and holly is softer so they tend to surface differently. If you do hand sand them use a block because your finger pressure may wear away the holly faster than the ebony. I have found that scraping is the best (only?) way to level and finish an inlay with these woods.

Finally, I assume that you will use epoxy to finish the top. If the finish is not crystal clear your nice white holly will look like maple underneath it. Acrylic varnish is also colorless but a few coats will actually begin to show a little tint.

Hope this helps

Doug

[Steve Demuth]

Not an answer to your question - but some really white, bleached hard maple would be a great way to get a hard, white contrast to your ebony.

[Mike Henderson]

I sort of assume you're looking for regular wood stock for the holly, but if you can use veneer, holly is available from a variety of sources. I think I got my stock from Certainly Wood, but it could have been from B&B Rare Woods.

Very easy wood to work with.

Mike

[Julie Moriarty]

Thanks for the help, guys. While you were answering I was looking at websites that had pictures of their stock. I recently watched some videos on making a compass rose and in every one the holly was very white. Some of the pictures of holly stock I saw looked yellow, almost like maple. If I can't find it locally and hand-pick it, I may have to be making some calls and asking them to send pictures.

Doug, thanks for the tips! I hadn't even thought of using epoxy because I've never worked with it. I was going to use clear WB poly, thinking the holly would stay white, but after what you said, I realized that the maple in the bar top did yellow a bit when I applied the poly. I thought that was because it had some yellow in it to start but if the holly yellows, I won't be a happy camper. I guess it's time to acquaint myself with epoxy.

[Michael Koons]

I recently bought a piece of holly at Hearne Hardwoods up here in PA. They had a full rack of the stuff and it all seemed to have pretty consistent coloring which was all very white. They had both cut offs (24" and smaller) as well as full length boards. I bought a 5"x80" 4/4 piece and will probably have enough for string inlays for the rest of my life.

[Van Huskey]

The last couple of times I have ordered Holly I have used DomEx Hardwoods in PA. What I received was very white.

[Jeff Ramsey]

I used holly as inlay in mahogany for a desk I made. I had to be careful not to corrupt the holly color with mahogany dust when finishing. It was easy to work; even miters at corners. I bought mine locally across the Delaware in NJ. I would suspect it can be found easily, although I saw nothing wider than 5" flat sawn where I bought. Enjoy your project; it sounds like a fun one.

[Terry Beadle]

There's a place just north of the Florida border that has holly.
Good prices...

I'm having a hard time finding their business address etc.

I think it may be this one
http://www.hamsleyhardwood.com/gallery/index.php

Nope...this is the one ( I think )

Davee's Hardwood Lumber
Phone: (478) 987-9747

• Name: Bryan Davee
  Job Title: Owner
  
  Give it a call and I think he can help you.
  He's a small lumber man and runs his own mill etc.
  
  Regards,
  
  Terry

[Mike Henderson]

Thanks for the help, guys. While you were answering I was looking at websites that had pictures of their stock. I recently watched some videos on making a compass rose and in every one the holly was very white. Some of the pictures of holly stock I saw looked yellow, almost like maple. If I can't find it locally and hand-pick it, I may have to be making some calls and asking them to send pictures.

Doug, thanks for the tips! I hadn't even thought of using epoxy because I've never worked with it. I was going to use clear WB poly, thinking the holly would stay white, but after what you said, I realized that the maple in the bar top did yellow a bit when I applied the poly. I thought that was because it had some yellow in it to start but if the holly yellows, I won't be a happy camper. I guess it's time to acquaint myself with epoxy.

Maple yellows with age, no matter what finish you put on it.

Mike

[John K Jordan]

I'm planning on making a compass rose to install in a bar top. If all goes well, I may be making one or more for neighbors. I want to use holly and Gaboon ebony for the bar top. I have enough ebony on hand but need to purchase some holly.

I've never worked with holly. I don't think I've ever seen a piece of holly, other than pictures. Any suggestions on where to find stock good enough for something like a compass rose? What to look for when buying holly? What online stores sell it that are good to deal with?

What size and how much holly are you looking for? I cut turning blanks from holly when I can get it. Narrower pieces are easier to find since the trees are usually small, but I have had holly about 18" in diameter.

Be advised that if you buy holly unseen you might be disappointed in the color. Holly is notoriously difficult to keep white while drying. It will often turn grey. I've been told the 2-part wood bleach will make it white but I haven't tried it myself.

Some dealers won't tell you if the holly is not pure white - you might have to ask. I saw an ad last week near the front of either the latest American Woodturner or Fine Woodworking (can't remember which) from a dealer advertising pure white holly.

Holly is a joy to work and turn on the lathe. Smooth, fine grain, cuts cleanly, takes carved and machined detail very well. It's a favorite for finials, rose engine work, and segmented turnings. It is also notorious for taking on the color of adjacent wood, either through discoloration from fine sanding dust or by bleeding of color leached out of adjacent wood by the solvents in finishes. This can be a real problem for segmented turnings.

JKJ

[Larry Frank]

I have bought holly on eBay where they show a picture of the exact piece.

[Al Weber]

Domex sells high quality holly. Their website shows pics of the stock.

[Robert Engel]

I just bought a piece of holly from a friend with a sawmill. 1x6x4 rough with figure for a very good price. Probably enough to last me a lifetime.

He is located in NE FL but would probably ship. If you are interested PM me.